Rise with the Light of a New Dawn
by concealedcanine
Summary: The war is over and the people of the village of Konoha are struggling to get back to the way things were. While some only want to return to the past others see that the only way to go is forward. Daemons will be faced, relationships tested, and new personalities will be born out of the ashes of war. (18 / KakaSaku)
1. Author's Note

_Note from the Author_

 _Hello there! I'm glad you stopped by to check out my story. I recently found myself bored and no reading material that suited my wants in literature so I decided to write my own about my two favorite Naruto characters. While I was on tumblr, another blogger and I found that there was something very off about how the whole last bit of the tale went down. These people had just finished with a war and everyone carried on their lives like nothing had happened. Now, I don't care who you are but you do not just start living a happy normal life after the things you have done and seen in war (this is coming from personal experience). So I wanted to add my little twist and change up a few things._

 _With this in mind I do not own the tale of Naruto or any of its character (no matter how much I wish I did). The following events have been distorted to fit the needs of the story that I want to tell. I do apologize if you do not like what I have to offer but if that is the case please go to the X in the upper right hand corner of your screen and click on it. There is no need for nasty words, just leave in peace._

 _ **IMPORTANT!**_ _With that out of the way I do need to warn you of any triggers that may bother any of you lovely readers._

 _Violence: this is a story taking place after a war there will be flashbacks and maybe even present day violence._

 _Blood/Gore: again… war._

 _Language: There will be foul language. I am not writing a kids story to be turned into a cartoon here. The characters are grown up and will use language as such._

 _Sexual Content: This is way down the road in my story (you'll be safe for around 10 chapters or more) but it must be included here. Again the characters are not kids any more._

 _Shipping: I will put in ships that I think make the most sense. If you don't like it I am sorry but that's just my opinion. You are entitled to yours and I am entitled to mine._

 _That's it! Please enjoy and let me know what you think, the comments section is there for a reason. Also feel free to check out any of my other stories that I am working on. Again, thank you for stopping by and enjoy!_


	2. Prelude CH1: At Last

_War; a frightening and gruesome operation. No one ever escapes unscathed from the violent ripples caused from the tremors sent far and wide by War. Whether it is the loss of a friend, a family member, or a loss of a piece of yourself. Make no mistake you will not escape War's clutches. For War does not only leave physical damage upon the fragile earth of which it is waged on. No, the deepest wounds are dug upon the conscience and the soul. While wounds of the flesh will not change who you truly are, the scars left on a soul will never leave you the same as you were before._

 _War; it affects everyone differently. Some come out shaken, while some emerge wracked to the core. But make no mistake, no one leaves unharmed. As far as we know, the only element that can soothe the wounds of War is time. For some it takes months, others… years._

 _The hustle and bustle of the medical tent seemed to only be increasing as the last battle raged on. The shouts, explosions, and screams of the battlefield were still audible even at this range and only heightened the tensions of those working tirelessly to heal or save any man or woman who came through the flaps. Although everything stalled in a split second. She had been holding a flap open for a crew carrying in another mangled body when it happened. At first it was a low rumble followed by a bright staggering light accompanied by a roar that made her bones vibrate. Everyone knew what that had been, it was the end. After that everything seemed eerily quiet._

 _Abandoning her post, Sakura took two medics with her towards the source of the explosion. She knew who had to be at the center of it, they were always at the center after all. Running as fast as her legs would carry her through the crowd that had been told to retreat, she heard shouts of people who had been injured by the blast. When Sakura finally arrived at the epicenter it felt like her heart had beat right out of her chest. The two of the bodies that were at the center of it all… were unmistakable in their identity and unmistakably dead. But the groans of a casualty just to her left tore her sight from two of her best friends. The man who was the source of that groaning looked as if he should be included in the count of the dead. Right off the bat she saw an arm and leg broken. The blood coming from his mouth and the sound of his labored breathing told her he suffered at least one puncture to his lungs and that meant a broken rib or multiple. There was also the sign of head trauma due to the fact that blood was staining his hair._

 _Sakura looked down to see blood on her hands. It wasn't her blood. The crimson liquid was that of Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi among countless others that she had tried to help save. Most made it… some didn't. Her vision was going blurry as tears came forth but never fell._

Her head jerked up off her office desk a paper stuck to her forehead that she had been working on the night before. Sakura's eyes were still closed as a hand rose and removed the object that clung to her face before setting it down on the desk. Both hands now rose, her slim digits rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them and then running down to her neck sliding back to the nape where she tried to rub away the stiffness caused by the way she fell asleep. Eyes opening and blinking repeatedly to adjust to the light in the room Sakura looked at the clock on the wall seeing that it was only half past four in the morning. She ceased rubbing her neck with her hands as they went to the desk to help her push herself into a standing position. Sauntering over to the coffee pot against the wall next to the entrance to her office she turned it on before walking into the bathroom. Turning on the faucet Sakura splashed some cold water on her face trying to escape the drowsiness that still engulfed her mind. The shock certainly helped as she now looked soberly into the mirror at her ruffled image. Sakura attempted to fix her hair but conceded that it was a lost cause. Fortunately her new hairstyle made it so she didn't have to tease it as much to get it at least a little of the way she wanted.

The ding of the coffee machine brought her back to the world of the living. She patted her face dry with a hand towel before walking over and pouring herself a cup of coffee. Her preference of how it was assembled was quite specific. Sakura took her coffee with one packet of sugar, three tablespoons of sweetened cream (preferably vanilla or hazelnut), and a splash of milk. People often joked when asking if she would like some coffee with her add-ons but she just couldn't get used to the taste of regular coffee, it was far too bitter and had to be covered up.

Cup in hand she shuffled back to her desk and went about her paperwork. It never seemed to end and every time she felt like she had been able to get a lot of it done the stack of "Need to Complete" papers only grew. Time ticked by as she sipped at her coffee the sound of her pen scratching at parchment was the only noise that filled the room. Before she knew it an hour had passed and sunlight was starting to invade her room. Spinning in her chair Sakura opened the window to let the soft summer morning breeze blow through and the sound of birds chirping play in the air. She arched her back stretching wide a few soft pops of her spine loosened her up nicely. Her eyes dared to venture to the pile of work she still had to do but found herself satisfied. Due to it being so early and no folders were being dropped off yet so the mound of papers had actually diminished significantly. Maybe she would get the chance to actually go out on a pre-morning round today and actually check on her patients.

Spinning in her chair again she picked up her pen scribbling a few more lines on a page before putting it on the stack in the out bin on the right side of her desk. Pulling another group of papers before her.

The nurse that had left a newly awake patient's room earlier bolted around a corner still in her full sprint as Sakura's door appeared at the end of the hall she had just turned down. As the door got closer and closer the nurse tried to slow her pace but the floors had been freshly waxed that night and were slick. Realizing her mistake the nurse tried her best to stop herself but slid with a mighty thump into Sakura's door.

Sakura nearly shot right out of her chair from surprise. Of course she could have known someone was coming but in the safe confines of the hospital and village Sakura felt it was not necessary to use that ability. Unfortunately it left her much more susceptible to being surprised. The knock that followed the thump seemed almost humorous after the initial announcement of someone in the area.

"Come in."

The door opened before she could even finish as the nurse burst in her after face flushed, "He... He is a -whew- awake", she panted charts tucked under her arm.

Aside from the woman's heavy breathing the only sound in the office for a good thirty seconds was the clatter of Sakura's pen falling from her hand to the desk and then to the floor. But then she spoke, "It's about damn time."

The statement was more to herself rather than her present company but that didn't stop Sakura from launching from her chair and making her way out of the office, door slamming shut behind her. The nurse hurried alongside her handing Sakura the charts for the one; Hatake, Kakashi.

"How long has he been up?"

"Not sure, I was doing pre-rounds and knew he was up for bandage removal today so I started with him. That was around five minutes ago."

"Any signs of distress?"

"Not that I could tell. He looked bored if anything."

"Ha… typical."

Sakura and the nurse were closing in on his door that was now wide open. Giving herself a little boost Sakura took the lead and walked in. There he was, laying in the same bed but now he showed signs of life as his head fought to turn to look over at her now frozen in the doorway. Sakura felt a surge of emotion through her frame but was unable to register everything in the mad rush of realization. Her mouth opened and closed several times trying to find the words. As the seconds went by she could feel the nurse leave to give them the time they needed. He was awake… Finally, at last, she was not the only one left.


	3. CH:2 Rise and Shine

" _No! Get away! Fall back! Everyone fall back! Naruto, Sasuke! Get your asses back here now! The deed is done we have to-."_

 _Kakashi darted forward determined to try and do something to get them away from the blast that was about to rock the very foundation of the Earth. Unfortunately he was too late. The blinding light and sheer force of the explosion tossed his body like a rag doll. Try as he might, Kakashi could not see what became of his two former students. The only sensation that kept him rooted to this world was the one that told him he was flying through the air. Only, the sensation didn't last long. Flesh and bone met the far more stubborn wood of a tree that refused to budge against the force of the explosion and impact of his person. As his mind tried to register the damage he realized that there was no pain. Was this death?_

 _Beep_

'This must be death', he thought trying to move his body in any way but no motion was occurring.

 _Beep… Beep… Beep_

' _What… what is that noise?'_ The question came forth as his conscience fought to ignore the increasingly annoying beeping. Although, there was something to this noise. It had a rhythm that was far too familiar to him, like he had heard it all his life.

 _Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…Beep… Beep_

He had heard this noise before, or more correctly this rhythm. The rhythm was that of his pulse, his heart beat, the one true thing that told him he was alive. This meant the accursed beeping must be that of a heart monitor located in a hospital. Slowly he clawed his way out from the depth of his sleep only one eye creaking open while the other appeared to be covered by gauze wrappings. The world came forth in a blur of beautiful oranges and reds on the stark white ceiling of his hospital room. Kakashi blinked a few times to get his vision focused on the reality of what was around him. Judging by how the light was moving across his ceiling he figured that the sun must be rising and making him question just how long he had been out of commission.

Closing his eye he tried to take a deep breath but a sharp stabbing pain in his chest made him cut the breath short as he managed to stifle a weak groan. Focusing his efforts on recalling any information after the blast, the only thing that came forth was a rough scene that he couldn't place a date or time on.

' _Kakashi-sama,'_ the man spoke reading from a scroll. ' _You have been found unfit for duty for the foreseeable future. For this we are removing you from office until further notice.'_

After that, everything went blank again. This only annoyed the silver haired man as it made him feel even worse about the present situation that he was piecing together. His restricted sight ventured as far down his body as he could to try and put more information to his current state only to see himself heavily bandaged save for his right arm and left leg. Kakashi's right leg was up in a sling to keep it elevated and he could tell that his left arm was in the same position. Not wanting to stress himself any further his eye returned to the now glaring white ceiling as the colors of the sun rise had moved to the far wall on his left. Resigning himself to his immobile position Kakashi closed his eye sighing while trying to collect his thoughts but failing miserably.

His eye didn't open until there was the echo of a door knob being turned and a door opening. Naturally Kakashi would have known who it was from their chakra signature but he found that he was still too weak to summon the strength to gleam that bit of information. A woman in a nurse's outfit stopped at the foot of his bed picking up his chart checking it over without looking at the patient in front of her just assuming that he was still unconscious.

"Humph!" He tried to speak but found that the wrappings were too tight to move his jaw so he resorted to his usual noise of acknowledgement.

The nurse nearly jumped off the floor in surprise and fumbled the clip board with his charts only to save it from being dropped by clutching it to her chest, "Oh my… Kakashi-sama. You're finally awake! I'll uh, I'll be right back!"

Just like that he was alone again as the woman quite literally sprinted from his room not bothering to put the clip board back where it previously hung. The door to his room also remained changed. In her haste the nurse forgot to close his door and he could hear her footsteps fading as she ran down a hall of the still significantly empty hospital. His eye shut again as he waited for the return of the shocked female who he was sure was grabbing a supervisor. Kakashi's concentration returned to the present and tried to figure out what day it was.

The ticks of the clock helped Kakashi count the minutes he waited for the woman's return. The only thing that allowed him to know of her approach, or more aptly their approach was the sound of two voices muttering back and forth and the echo of two sets of footsteps hitting the floor. His eye blinked open to adjust to the light before they entered his room. The gaze of his only exposed eye shot to the door when the first person entered. It would have been impossible to know who it was if it had been any other person due to his restricted range of vision and lack of chakra detecting energy. But, it just so happened that this person's most recognizable feature was her hair. The soft pink locks froze in place at the doorway seeing Kakashi trying to turn his head to get a better look at who was now in the room with him.


	4. CH:3 Paging Reality

"Paging nurse Joy, nurse Joy please report to the reception desk."

The voice over the PA system of the hospital was the sound to break the silence that was still between Sakura and Kakashi. As if by some magical force she finally moved further into the room to the stool at the foot of his bed. She had spent a fair amount of time on this stool watching over his comatose form.

"Welcome back…" Sakura managed to mutter looking into her former sensei's eye, "I know you can't talk yet but luckily those bandages of yours will be coming off later today, well some of them. Others can't you know? Of course you do… aaaaand I'm rambling" She tried to maintain a professional tone but found it impossible with the sheer amount of happiness and relief she felt was becoming harder and harder to suppress.

Kakashi blinked, "Mhm." He wanted to know how long he had been out, why didn't she just tell him right off the bat?

Tears were threatening the corners of her eyes, "I know you must have some questions but I promise we will get to those later." She stood and shined a light into his eye and liked what she saw, "Eye looks good." Now Sakura was just stalling as she sat back on the stool.

Staring at her blankly he could tell she was in some sort of distress.

Feeling like she was about to lose it Sakura hid her face behind the clipboard wiping her eyes, "Y-you idiot…" she chuckled sounding broken up, "You have no idea how… how good it is to see you awake." Sakura fought back her tears and lowered the clipboard, "I'll be back once your bandages are off and we can talk then. I'll answer any questions you have at that point."

"Humph." Kakashi hummed in response. He could see the traces of tears on her cheeks and corners of her eyes. It made it seem like he had been gone forever for her to react this way.

Sakura stood wiping her eyes on her lab coat sleeve once more. Walking out of the room she made her way to the patient desk where a few nurses were gathered chatting about what they did the night before. When one of them spotted Sakura making a beeline for them. They hurried too look busy but she didn't care one way or another at this point.

"Can we help you Doctor Haruno?" One asked looking up from an upside down folder that was supposed to be her cover.

"Yes. Hatake, Kakashi, I want his bandage removal to be marked as the first thing to do this morning by the surgical staff and I want to be notified as soon as it is done."

"Sure thing." Another who was wearing surgical team scrubs nodded making a note on a pad.

Sakura's eyes flicked to the girl with the upside down folder a small friendly smirk appeared on her features, "If you are going to pretend to be working, at least have the folder the right side up."

"Oh… heh, sorry Doctor Haruno it won't happen again." The nurse's face was bright red from embarrassment.

Turning Sakura left the area feeling lighter than air. To have this news first thing in the morning… there wasn't a better way to start the day. Deciding to ride this wave she made her way to her office to discard her coat before making her way outside. The surgical staff wouldn't be at the hospital for a good while so she figured she had time to grab breakfast at the café down the street. Her mind buzzed with all the questions that Kakashi might have for her but tried to keep her focus on the more jovial ones so as not to ruin her mood.

Upon her arrival at the café she ordered an omelet and a vanilla latté. While she waited for her food at an outside table a familiar blond girl walked toward her direction from down the street surely making her way to the school. Ino had taken up teaching a few classes at the school while waiting to be assigned a team of genin's. She often took this way to the school grounds to drop off a morning beverage for Sakura but this morning that would be unnecessary. Ino faltered slightly surprised to see Sakura outside of the hospital this early in the morning. Normally her pink haired friend would be locked up in her lair trying to bust out some last minute forms for the day.

"Ohayo Ino!" Sakura smiled as Ino approached and sat with her.

"Wow the forehead beast has emerged from her cave." She grinned, "What's got you so giddy this morning?"

Sakura leaned in close, "Kakashi woke up this morning."

"REALLY?!" Ino exclaimed disbelievingly.

"Shhhh~ we can't let this news get out yet. He isn't ready for the political crowd to come in and start harassing him."

"Oh right… sorry. But hey! That's great!" Ino checked her watch, "Look I would love to stay and chat but I have to be at the school early. I ducked out early for a date last night and need to finish grading some exams."

Sakura raised an eye brow, "Oh? That's makes it the third one. I don't I have ever seen you last this long."

"Oh shut up. I'll fill you in later. Gotta run!" With that Ino trotted off leaving Sakura to the omelet that had just been dropped off.

Thirty minutes later Sakura had finished her meal and was making her way back to the hospital. As she was about to reach the doors when there was a loud bang and crash that echoed among the filling streets. Sakura took cover behind a corner hands glowing green with chakra flow. Her heart raced eyes darting around looking for the assailant. Of course, there was no enemy to be found. The true cause of the noise could be seen down the street a little further where someone had slammed a door and then ran into a set of metal trash cans that were left by the exit of their building.

The chakra faded from her hands as her heartbeat slowed back to normal. How long had it been since the war ended? Almost three months… and she was still having these PTSD attacks. Lately she had been able to suppress the physical reaction although not all of them. Shaking her head she continued her way into the hospital trying to ignore what she had just done. Sakura stopped at the reception desk looking for any folders that may have already been put into her inbox. Luckily none.

"Doctor Haruno?" A small trainee walked up to her with a clipboard and notes, "These are for you. The surgical staff is with their first patient and should be done in another ten minutes or so."

"Thank you… Harumi, isn't it?"

"Ah, yes. And thank you for remembering. Most people still call me intern."

"Eh give them some time and they will remember. The last one didn't get remembered by his name until he came out of a room covered in a patient's sick. It's in those moments when you are truly inducted into our little family."

"Th-that won't happen to me will it?" The intern looked a little disgusted from this story.

"Oh no don't worry hun. It could be fecal matter or blood."

With that Sakura turned leaving the intern shaking in her shoes. Of course she wasn't entirely serious but these were some of the hazards of the job. Plus everyone loved to mess with the newbie in the halls. Just because Sakura was in charge of this whole complex didn't mean that she couldn't be a part of that timeless tradition.

The nurses that were roaming the halls of the hospital noticed Sakura's chipper mood. Normally she would speed walk through the bustling halls always looking as if she was busy and shouldn't be approached unless it was absolutely necessary. But this morning they waved at her with small smiles and Sakura happily returned each one. Reaching her office she donned her lab coat checking herself in the mirror once again. Not that she was looking to impress anyone but having a professional look was important while at the hospital. After a few touch ups to her make up Sakura left and made her way back to Kakashi's room knowing the removal should be done by now.

When Sakura turned came to the room the door was closed again but the "Do Not Disturb" sign wasn't up so she knew it was empty except for Kakashi. She hesitated in front of the door. It felt like it had been an eternity since she had last spoke to any of her old teammates. She wasn't counting the nights where she would just sit by Kakashi's bed telling him about how the village is doing, how she is doing, or other various news because they weren't actually conversing. This would be her first conversation since the end of the war with someone of her team.

Taking a deep breath she reached out with a shaking hand and turned the handle. Entering silently she saw him sitting up, mask on, and reading one of his books that had been on his bed side table since he had arrived at the hospital. Sakura had actually taken up reading his books to him whenever it was late and she couldn't sleep. Much to her surprise he had been right after all those years. The books were much better than public opinion let on.

Kakashi didn't looked up from his book when she entered. But at the sound of Sakura clearing her throat his head lifted and turned seeing her standing in the entrance with the door slowly closing behind her. Silence pressed between them neither sure of how to start the conversation.

Feeling she was in the lead role here Sakura moved further into the room and grabbed the stool scooting it close to his bedside and sitting down. She used this time as an extension to figure out what to say but still had nothing. Sakura wanted to be friendly, warm, encouraging. Kakashi had been gone a long time and would need help getting back up to speed. But that meant not thrusting it all down his throat right off the bat. Simple, they needed to start off simple.

"Sleep well?" Sakura spoke softly one of her old smiles creeping onto her face glad to finally be able to really talk to him.


	5. CH:4 Hollow

"Sleep well?" Sakura spoke softly one of her old smiles creeping onto her face glad to finally be able to really talk to him.

Kakashi shifted in his bed one eye fixed intently on Sakura. He saw how his gaze made her squirm knowing that only meant there was bad news to be heard. But, he would play this her way, "Fine." he shrugged. "How long have I been out?"

"Good, good…" She nodded brushing a strand of hair out of her face trying to stop her hands from fidgeting but it was a failed attempt. "Umm not too long" Sakura replied over-emphasizing the 'too'.

"Sakura, how long?" He repeated wanting a real answer.

" _ **Onlyaroundninemonths**_ " Sakura blurted out in one hurried breath.

Kakashi blinked not knowing what to say to this. Not only did he feel like he let the village down by not being there to lead as Hokage but he had lost his two students over nine months ago and didn't get to say his last good bye's. He felt like a failure. Kakashi's eye looked down at his closed book, "I see. Who… uh… who took over?"

"Tsunade-sama did for awhile in order to train someone who could fill the roll while you have been out. While Genma was rather reluctant he took the post." Sakura saw him look down and felt like reaching out but didn't. "He has done pretty well."

"Humph." It made sense to Kakashi. Genma was a respectable and well liked person. He was a good fill for the roll, even though he was sure Genma hated it. The man was never one to be stuck in an office. But still, it was better than himself, a failure, ' _I'm garbage.'_

Sakura waited a little bit for him to speak but when there was no sign she tried to keep the conversation going, "How do you feel?"

"Body is fine." Kakashi's mind had left how he failed the village and had wandered to all the others he had failed as well. The list felt nearly endless; Naruto, Sasuke, Minato, Kushina, his father, Obito, Rin, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and so many un-named ninja that had fallen during the war.

"Yes, I know that, but how do you feel?" Sakura repeated knowing his body was fine… mostly.

"I'll live." Kakashi looked back up at her and gave his attempt at a smile but it looked weak at best. Hopefully she would chalk it up to he was just tired. As he tried to smile though something felt off, "Sakura, what's wrong with my eye?" he pointed to the one that was covered.

"Oh that... well," Sakura was a little nervous to answer this. She knew the answer could be quite the psychological blow, "You took a hit from some debris during the explosion." Sakura reached into the bedside table pulling out a vial with a fairly large splinter of wood inside that had impaled Kakashi's eye, "We were able to get you a donor eye but you no longer have your sharingan." Sakura's voice trailed off at the end already looking for a reaction.

Luckily for Kakashi, he was good at hiding his emotions so what Sakura saw wasn't what he felt. His heart had sunk. Kakashi was no longer the person that he had become. It had all been ripped away. The Copy Ninja? He was as good as dead. Not only that Kakashi had officially lost his last tie to his old team. He was a shell of who he used to be. "Humph. When can I leave?" That last blow did hit hard. Kakashi would have rather died in that blast.

Sakura wanted to hug him. She wanted to hold him and tell him how sorry she was all this had happened. She wanted to help but knew it would just take time. Even she still needed time. "Well, physically speaking you are good to leave now. You'll have to come back in about five days to have the bandages covering your eye taken off. But Kakashi, if you aren't feeling mentally ready you can stay. There is no rush."

"I'll go now. I want to see my nin-kin and be at home." Kakashi mumbled not really sure what he was saying.

"Right. I'll uh, I'll fill out the charts as you change and walk you out when you are ready."

"Sure."

With that Sakura grabbed the charts from the end of his bed and walked out of the room closing the door behind her. She leaned back against the door sighing to herself hating this feeling of helplessness. Collecting her thoughts she moved to her office wanting some privacy to fill out the charts. The only thought that was keeping her head up was that she was no longer the only one.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was dressing but felt like he was seeing himself from the outside as if he was a ghost watching his own body. Kakashi knew he was always a broken man but now he felt more damaged than ever. As he tapped his boots on the ground so they fit right finishing his ensemble his hand came up feeling the bandage covering his eye. Things were never going to be the same. Making his way for the door Kakashi halted hand outstretched. Sakura wanted him to wait but he didn't want to have her associated with him. It wouldn't be good for her. Kakashi figured it would be best if he just disappeared. Turning he went to the window opening it and climbing through. Stuffing his hands in his pockets Kakashi began to walk head hanging down not wanting to draw attention. He hadn't even bothered to grab his Icha Icha.

Sakura finished the paperwork and stood walking back to Kakashi's room. Maybe she would arrange a weekly meal with him to make sure he was okay. Arriving at his door Sakura knocked waiting for a response but nothing came. "Kakashi?" Sakura called, "I'm coming in." she added letting him know she was entering. Nothing, Kakashi wasn't there. An orange cover grabbed her attention. He had left his book? Sakura picked it up and made her way to the nurses desk, "Did you see Kakashi-sama leave?" She asked her nurses who shook their heads.

Why would he just disappear like this? Sakura hurried through the halls to the reception area trying to spot him but there was no sign. Clutching the book to her chest and feeling rather deflated she resigned herself to the fact that he had left without saying anything. Maybe he just needed some time to himself. With that thought she went about her day but her mind was off somewhere else hoping Kakashi was doing alright.

* * *

Kakashi took the back roads to his apartment trying to avoid the public eye. If he had a cloak he would have used it too. His eyes stayed on his feet as he wandered and tried to ignore the whispers. It didn't take long for him to reach the door of his place. Pulling a key from under the mat he unlocked the door and walked in.

With his good eye Kakashi scanned the room. It looked like people had been here to clean up and grab anything the Hokage might need. But the place had been left in order. Only then did he notice that a piece of paper had been left on the bedside table. Letting the door close behind him he walked over picking it up and recognized Genma's writing.

 _Kakashi-_

 _Hey pal, I don't know when you will get to read this but I felt the need to leave it. Sorry we had to search your place but we needed to make sure there was nothing in your room left that belonged to the office of hokage. When you do see this come stop by. We will have a lot to catch up on._

 _-Genma_

When he was done reading Kakashi tossed it into the drawer of the table. Turning and getting a new angle of the room he saw something that made his stomach turn. There were pictures and mementos left on his dresser. Shuffling over he looked down at them all. Each smiling face looking back up at him made Kakashi feel sick. He had failed all of them. Rage quickly engulfed him as he let out a loud bellow flung everything onto the ground glass shattering. Stumbling back instantly consumed by grief Kakashi fell onto his bed and curled up as dry sobs overcame him.

Kakashi wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep but when he woke it was dark outside. What had woken him was a knock at the door but Kakashi didn't get up to answer it. Instead he just stayed silent. After a few minutes a piece of paper was slid under his door and the person walked off. Only then did he get up but ignored the note going to the kitchen.

After grabbing a glass and a bottle of sake, Kakashi sat at the table. In quick succession Kakashi downed several glasses of the potent liquid. He sighed as a warmth started to take over. As he continued to drink the world grew fuzzy. ' _Fuck this…'_ he thought to himself as he poured what must have been his fifteenth glass. The bottle was growing light. Throwing the next shot down his throat Kakashi smacked his lips looking into the bottle and only seeing a little left. Shrugging he tipped it back draining the last of the sake.

Without warning he slumped forward head hitting the table with a loud thump. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Naruto's face looking up at him from behind smashed glass. Kakashi sniffed trying to hold back the wave of emotions building but couldn't.

"I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry." he sobbed to no-one in particular, "I failed, again."

It was several more minutes before Kakashi was reduced to a drunken slumber. Only this time he was haunted by faces and scenes he never wanted to relive. But he wasn't the only one who was going to have a rough night. Elsewhere in town Sakura was rolling over in her bed troubled by thoughts of her old sensei. Wondering if she had done right by telling him he could leave.

* * *

Author's note

Hey guys! Thanks for waiting! I hope you enjoy the chapter. It was a fun one to write as you never really get to find yourself writing tragedy like this. So it was a new challenge. Please let me know what you think and I will get up a new chapter after I update my other current stories. *hands out chocolates to all the readers*


End file.
